Kick

Cut off from the Starport, 100 PDFs made their last stand in the dilapidated base. Only a couple of automated turrets, outdated and inefficient, were mounted on the roof of the fortification. The attacking force used the buildings to hide their silhouettes, all the while moving closer. Within range, a light mech casually tossed an EM grenade to the turrets, which had not yet fired a single energy blast due to their tactical maneuvering.

PYUB!

The pulse fried the internal components of the turrets, rendering them out of service. The PDFs on top of the base, armed with energy rifles, panicked and hurriedly abandoned their posts. Some even jumped down in their extreme fright of the oversized missile.

With their role done, the light mechs subtly abandoned the area, giving way to the larger and tougher war machines.

Given the green light, a heavy mech made its way toward the PDF base, crushing the streets below with every step, swatting any structures that impeded its path. Pieces or almost entire buildings collapsed from the rampaging mech. Disengaged cannons were mounted on both of its shoulders. Holding a laser rifle in one hand, the other was used to violently smash through obstacles.

In order to probe the close range defenses of the PDF base, the mech presented itself as a target, just after leaving a trail of destruction.

This action provoked the defending force to open fire with their rifles, as numerous energy projectiles flew out from every corner of the base.

Seeing the nonthreatening small energy blasts coming toward him, the pilot of the heavy mech grunted in discontent. The little flies were not the ones he was trying to lure out. Some readings earlier showed signs of a mech in the vicinity.

When the energy blasts was only a few meters away, a distortion pulse erupted from the heavy mech, turning the hostile projectiles into harmless particles. This caused more discomfort to the pilot. The shielding activated on its own, even though the projectiles can't even dent the mech's thick armor, consuming a small amount of power which might prove to be useful on later campaigns in the city.

"Shielding!" The PDFs shouted, but still proceeded to fire their weapons in order to waste the heavy mech's power capacity with its shield generator activating inefficiently.

"You little f*ckers!" Annoyed by the ants below, the pilot directed his mech to raise an arm. The plate armor receded revealing two barrels of launchers, from which giant concussion grenades were propelled, arcing in the air and crashing to the exteriors of the base, successfully penetrating through.

BA-BANG!

Screams of men followed as the grenades exploded, the violent expulsion of sound and air, affected all the furnitures, shoving them from their original position, while the glass windows were shattered into pieces.

With the PDF troops disabled, the heavy mech activated its scanners, intuitively glancing around.

Boom!

An HE rocket made contact with the heavy mech's torso, engulfing it in a huge explosion. It was a solid projectile and the shielding module had no business with it.

After a short while, the wild fire diminished, revealing the unharmed heavy mech. The pilot was not threatened by the puny gun, instead, looking at the direction from which the projectile originated. There, hiding just behind the PDF base, a medium 4th Gen Mech carefully hid its frame. Using the roof of the base as support for the firing tube it held, it reloaded, this time with an armor-piercing rocket. Without any hesitation, the medium fired the portable anti-armor weapon over its shoulder again.

Cling!

The supposed armor-piercing rocket harmlessly ricocheted on the heavy mech's armor, not even leaving a scratch behind. This ushered the pilot of the medium into utter shock, as the jumbo size bazooka was widely known to be capable of damaging even 5th gens. With the heavy mech sporting an even superior armor than the current gens, a sense of hopelessness washed over the PDF mech pilot. A momentary action which an aerial mech took advantage, sniping one of the 4th gen's engine, causing it to lifelessly limp on the ground.

"Good job!" The heavy mech pilot spoke in the comm, saluting to the light mech in the air.

With the biggest threat removed, mercenary infantries swarmed the PDF base. One with a power suit, an exoskeletal armor which amplified the capabilities of the wearer - a device that only augmented soldiers could utilize with their enhanced physique, jumped on the fallen mech. The mercenary then tried to pry open the cockpit, only managing to make it budge for a few centimeters. When another with a power suit landed, they both pulled with their might the most secured part of a mech.

After a minute of steady effort, the cockpit was forced open. The pilot inside was ready for the intruders, firing a few shot from his pistol, it's bullets just bounced off from the heavy suits without achieving any purpose.

Unperturbed by the fruitless action, one of the mercenaries grabbed the pilot and tossed him outside without any care. Just as the PDF was about to fall to his death, the other mercenary shot a device from the wrist, causing a bubble to form on the ground, cushioning the falling person.

With a high five, one of the mercs stated after seeing the pilot's death glare leveled at their direction, "What? You thought we're gonna hold your hands and guide you out?"

The pilot removed his helmet, spitting on the ground as his last defiance before he was seized by an incoming squad of mercs.

-----

In the transport ship, an incoming transmission made the crew secretly celebrate in their heads.

[This is Mike Bail, high representative of the Union's Mech Association.]

A wide grin stretched on Vasquez' face upon hearing the voice. In anticipation, he patiently waited.

[I would like to inform your guild that you are not authorized to occupy a unionist planet. The treaty clearly stated tha--]

"Mr. Representative, this is Commander Vasquez of the AO Conqueror." The commander cut off the other man, "Let's get to the deal instead of sharing small talks. I'm a hired soldier, a professional at that. I'm not one for politics, but I know what violations me and my men had commited."

After a brief silence, the conversation continued.

[What are you suggesting, commander?]

Vasquez scratched his chin with a chuckle. "Mr. Bail, I'm willing to open up the FTL Lanes of Logria, and resume interplanetary trades. After all, this planet is a breadbasket of the Union. Don't want the unionist starving. Commutations will return to the planet, after you negotiate with my Guild Master; the indemnity of our unlawful occupation as well as our permanent residency in the Union."

[I am fully aware of what an orbital drop operation can do in a populated planet, commander. As long as I don't receive a status report from the PDF in Logria, there will be no negotiation.]

A low hum escaped Vasquez while he contemplated for a response. In a few seconds, he replied, "You will receive a report from the PDF tomorrow, Mr. Bail. I will briefly open up a secure line between you and them, but, of course, under our careful inspection. You will know that we were lenient with our occupation, and that no casualty, from both civilians and defense forces, were committed in our part."

With that, the call ended. Some of the crews punched the air, silently cheering.

"The damage we inflicted should amount around a billion credits. No. The Union will exact a heavier price, probably ten times that amount. In exchange for what? Trillions of yearly contract for the guild?" The captain excitedly murmured, glancing at the commander, "You have any prediction on how the negotiations will fare?"

"The Union will submit to our offers once they receive the good news of how we treated one of their planet. If we somehow caught some figures, mainly from the great houses of this faction, I say, we give them back to their families.. unharmed. That should quench their initial hostilities against us." Vasquez glanced at the screen, displaying the image of the desert planet they were orbiting, "I regret to inform you that there is another side of our mission."

This caused all of the crews in the bridge to turn their attention toward the commander.

"And that is?" The captain questioned, unable to guess what the commander meant.

"Kick the GT out from this faction." Vasquez softly smiled at their expressions, which took a sudden down turn.

"But, commander! We are only one ship! The GT would definitely send a fleet to our location!" The captain protested. His face started sweating from the thought of fighting against a numerically superior enemy.

Vasquez began to shook, laughing uncontrollably. He said in a menacing tone, "I'm sure they will."

"We are, after all, but just a distraction. When the GT is undefended while their fleet come to us, another of our force will strike their HQ.. straight into the heart of the Union."